Erika Quinn has celebrated success at Equitana Melbourne 2024, which was held on November 14-17. Erika took out fifth place in a field of 30 competitors from across the country in the prestigious barrel racing event held over two days.
The former local, who now lives in Leeton and is a bare foot trimmer by trade, has been barrel racing since 2019 and was excited about her success at the biennial event. Contestants must qualify at events across the country, with each offering just a handful of spots.
For the 27-year-old, Equitana wasn’t on her radar. It was a last-minute entry after returning from competing in a rodeo at Nebo in Queensland that saw Erika and her horse Georgia compete as one of 15 competitors at a qualifier at Cootamundra and become one of three to qualify. “I pulled her out of the paddock; I didn’t know until 10 o’clock Saturday night, but it started at 8 o’clock the next morning. Got put on the end of the draw, so I was 15th out. She just came in and she did really well. It was very, very exciting to qualify and to compete against those girls,” said Erika.
In barrel racing, riders and horses must navigate around three barrels placed in a triangular position on an arena, in the quickest time possible – and they do it in around 15 seconds. The Equitana event is held over two rounds, with the overall winners placed using an average score system.
In Round 1, Erika was first out, but after her horse slipped and the second rider fell, the ground was deemed unsuitable, tractors brought out to rectify it and they were allowed to redo their race. Erika placed 8th in a time of 15.829. She bettered that in Round 2, with a time of 15.528 and placing 5th. “Being first out is really hard because you don’t know what it’s going to be like,” she said. “In Round 2, I was 22nd out and I just put it all out there, and the ground obviously got quicker and I ended up getting 5th in that round.”
Erika’s average result was 15.679, awarding her 5th place overall – just 0.247 seconds behind first placed Cherie O’Donoghue.
“You pretty much had the best of the best at Equitana,” Erika said of her competitors.
With $15,700 in prize money provided by generous sponsors, Erika says this is a wealthy barrel race. “That’s why it’s really cool to go and win it – and it’s just the atmosphere and to get a garland around your neck, and a rug. To be able to win such an awesome event would be cool, but you’re competing against such good people – and to be amongst that is really cool.”
Erika is no stranger to horses, having grown up with them. She even took her horse to her boarding school where she continued showing horses and eventing. Upon returning home, she first tried barrel racing at Lockington on another horse, then brought Georgia into the scene.
“That’s where Georgia has taken me. It’s pretty cool to have bred her and trained her. We have only been barrel racing since the end of 2019, and obviously Covid got in the way, so to be winning and placing at a lot of rodeos, and to be at Equitana on her is a really, really cool feeling.
“We have a rodeo every weekend, but it’s not often we have a special event like this one that’s such a huge payout and competitive.”
The rodeos Erika mentions are her passion and she competes almost every weekend over the summer season, mainly in Victoria and southern New South Wales, and has qualified for annual finals in several years.
“You get the bug, and if you are pretty competitive at it – it’s definitely very enjoyable going and seeing how you’ll go,” but also points out there is a lot of work that goes into training horses.
Despite living in Leeton, Erika returns to her roots when she can, and catches up with regular clients – but her visits might be few and far between now that the rodeo season is upon us.
This article appeared in The Koondrook and Barham Bridge Newspaper, 28 November 2024.
